There's nothing like a brownie and Starbucks Java Chip ice cream, a room full of noisy sisters and brothers (including "adopted" brothers), and watching a good night on American Idol to remind me that life is not all sorrow and difficulty. Really, I don't know why I so easily believe that the daily grind is so un-endurable, but I do. My confession is made.

With that made clear, it's a good thing reminders come. Often.

Another good reminder is reading "things I appreciate" lists on another's site. It gets the wheels in my head turning, and I quickly find that my life is full of unaccounted for blessings. The problem is that I'm so self-centered, I think I'm getting a bad deal the minute the demands on me are greater than my own sufficiency, and that I'm being gypped every time my days don't look exactly like I'd planned.

So, I voted for some of tonight's--in my humble opinion--best performers (him, her, him) and now I'm making a [short] list of "things I appreciate."

--His discipline, which works for my own good... without a doubt
--a patient husband who overlooks my off-the-handle comments in moments of stress
--Bronwyn's independence which, though needing to be curbed at times, already alleviates some of the daily work for me
--the sun peeking out after lots and lots of rain
--grass that is incredibly green because of the dreary rain
--a vacuum cleaner that works and eliminates the greatly-disliked ladybugs from my home
--Jackson's increasingly chubby cheeks
--feeling connected to the outside world even as a stay-at-home mom because of weblogs (what did women do before?!)
--a house that I am more and more in love with every day that I live here
--the privilege of watching and caring for my children everyday, and being the one who shares their every joy and sorrow
--a sister-in-law and sisters, lots of them (Liana and Camilla, too!), who give me regular and undeserved breaks with their babysitting services
--teaching and inspiration that compells me to lift my eyes up
--Gabriel's brilliance
--time to work and time to rest... it's a good plan

Now that I'm on a roll, I could keep going and going. I think I will. But I'll spare you.